Tsubasa wasn't quick enough to keep his expression straight. He could feel his shoulders tensing and blood coming to his face. Jabi had already won the satisfaction of making him lose his composure and now the most he could do was to stand his ground. He breathed deeply before answering her, "My disciples are obedient and devoted. I wouldn't expect any less from Rin. The law of the Knights and Priests applies to all of us, even a - a woman."

He had wanted to point to Priestess Garai, or Saejima Kouga's mother, as shining examples of what he aspired for Rin to be. Tsubasa tried, once, again; and understood that the words wouldn't come. Jabi would be more than aware that he wasn't addressing the question of whether he could truthfully say he understood Rin as she was now, rather than as she had once been. He could go no further around it. Rin would be most likely to take Jabi's view simply because it was Jabi, and that left him to face the prospect that she would remember him not as a loving brother but someone who had chosen not to understand her or be part of her life. Any idea of how soon that might happen was irrelevant.